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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana
Issue No. 1850
guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

August 4, 2013

PRICE

Another Limacol CPL party
at Providence today!
– gates open at 12:30h

T

he Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will reach
fever pitch today as another sold-out crowd will witness,
not one, but two hugely exciting games, set to bowl off at
15:00h and 20:00h, at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence,
East Bank Demerara.
Ramnaresh Sarwan and his soldiers from the Guyana Amazon
Warriors will definitely be the star attraction, but don’t forget the
likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Herschelle Gibbs,
Marlon Samuels, Ricky Ponting, and Misbah-ul-Haq, who will all be
there to give fans their money’s worth from 15:00h for the first game.
Gates will be opened from 12:30h, so avoid the rush and try

to settle in the stadium early for the final two matches of the
Guyana leg of the Limacol CPL.
Take advantage of the early entry by visiting the various
booths and participating in the numerous novelty events for
both young and old. The party will start early!
It’s the Jamaica Tallawahs versus the Antigua Hawksbills
at 15:00h, followed by the big showdown at 20:00h with the
Guyana Amazon Warriors facing the St Lucia Zouks.
The action will also be broadcast live on TVG Channel 28
and on RGI 89.3FM in Essequibo, 89.5FM in Georgetown and
environs, and 89.7FM in Berbice.

Beautiful and creative! This lass appears very relaxed as her face is being painted at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) ground, Carifesta Avenue,
Georgetown on Thursday

PPP/C hasn’t strayed from Dr Jagan’s
ideals – President Ramotar
See story
on page 3

MADEIN592.
COM fashion
company to P17
be launched

2 news

SUNday, august 4, 2013 | guyanatimeSGY.com

Essequibo Coast hit by fuel shortage

A pump attendant at work at the Dalchand Hare Krishna Gas Station in Anna Regina

L

ong queues for fuel
have resurfaced at
most gas stations on
the Essequibo Coast and
motorists have been restricted to only two gallons
of fuel to sustain their vehicles.
The sudden scarcity,
which began this week, has
forced drivers and minibus
operators to charge commuters more for short drops

and regular runs.
Commuters
travelling
short distances are feeling
the squeeze as they have to
pay the same fare for regular drops.
Minibus fares for short
drops on the Essequibo
Coast range from $60 to
$100; the price is doubled
for regular runs.
While passengers think
they are being ripped off,

Vehicles waiting to be fuelled up

drivers are of the view that
they need to recover their
fuel money. They say many
gas stations are closed and
the few that are opened
have hiked up their price
for gasoline.
Several vehicles have
shut down on the roadways,
leaving passengers stranded while several gas station owners have been out
of business.

Guyana Times, on a visit
to the few gas stations that
were in operation, observed
that the price for fuel was
increased by $40 and was
being rationed.
Persons in long queues
were also jostling to get
fuel.
Motorists and drivers
expressed their dismay at
the scarcity and are calling
on government to take steps

to address the problem.
Shawn Singh, a businessman, said the situation
is a setback.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is really sad that we
have to wait in lines for
fuel, our business is suffering, this is what we depend
on.â&#x20AC;?
Gas station owners who
spoke with Guyana Times
said the shortage is due to
the main supplier to Sol not
having enough fuel to distribute to its sublets as a
shipment has been delayed.
One gas station owner
said he is losing millions
daily as he has had to turn
down many of his regular
customers.
The Dalchand Hare
Krishna Gas Station in
Anna Regina was in opera-

tion Saturday morning as
it received fuel on Friday
night. The station has not
limited the amount of fuel
supplied to consumers, but
is selling one litre of fuel for
$217, which is just around
the normal price.
A taxi driver from Cotton
Field told this publication
that he had to travel almost
the entire coast to access
fuel as several gas stations
were closed. He was able to
make a purchase at a fuel
station close to Supenaam.
The driver said his other colleagues have parked
their vehicles and are out of
business.
Another vehicle owner
from Reliance said her car
was parked for almost two
days.
The businesswoman related that when she approached nearby gas stations, she was told by pump
attendants that they have
fuel to supply the private
companies which usually
buy in large quantities.
The
businesswoman
said she had to incur additional expenses to travel to
a gas station that was supplying fuel.
On
Saturday,
only
three gas stations on the
Essequibo Coast were in operation. Vehicle owners and
drivers are hoping that the
situation will soon return to
normalcy.

NEWS

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed
to vehicular traffic on Sunday, August 4
from 14:30h to 16:00h.
The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to
vehicular traffic on Sunday, August 4 from
15:20h to 16:50h.

WEATHER TODAY

Countrywide: Thundery showers are
expected. Mostly clear skies will give way to
cloudiness in the evening. Temperatures are
expected to range between 23 degrees and 28
degrees Celsius.
Winds: North-easterly at 1.79 to 2.23 metres
per second.
High Tide: 02:38 and 15:08h reaching
maximum heights of 2.34 metres and 2:30
metres.
Low Tide: 08:40h and 20:56h reaching
minimum heights of 0.85 metre and 0.89
metre respectively.

SUNday, august 4, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

PPP/C hasn’t strayed from Dr Jagan’s
ideals – President Ramotar

P

resident
Donald
Ramotar said the
People’s Progressive
Party/Civic (PPP/C) will not
shift from its role of improving the lives of all Guyanese
as envisioned by late founding leader and president, Dr
Cheddi Jagan.
Addressing hundreds of
delegates at the opening of
the party’s 30th Congress
held at the JC Chandisingh
Secondary
School,
Port
Mourant, Berbice on Friday,
the president said Dr
Jagan’s
principles of social justice, hard work, unity in the face of division and
investment in the people
of Guyana are, and will always be the hallmarks of the
PPP/C.
“As
the
People’s
Progressive Party, we have
a duty to fight for these
principles and never to re-

and impede our efforts to invest in our future to win, for
what they fail to see is that
every time they pat themselves on the back for supposedly embarrassing the

saturday, August 3, 2013

LOTTERY NUMBERS
G 11 12 15 26 13 18 06
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to do with growth and everything to do with cutting
the PPP/C’s nose to spite the
face of all Guyanese.
He noted that since 2011,
the opposition has sought to

continually block government’s proposals, tried to
denigrate its ideals and attempted to use Parliament
to block social and economic
progress.
“They voted to cut from
the 2012 budget most areas that affect people’s lives.
They voted down contract
workers. They voted down
the solar panel project or
people in the interior, stopping Amerindian communities from enjoying basic
services to which all people are entitled. They voted
down the Amerindian Land
Titling, stopping people in
those communities from developing their own projects and creating their own
wealth.
Turn to page 9

A section of the gathering in attendance at the PPP/C’s
30th Congress

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lent – even in the face of
an uncompromising and
uncomprehending
opposition. I make this personal
commitment that I, as president and head of state, will
not relent. And as general secretary of your party, I
commit you, members of the
People’s Progressive Party,
to never ever relent either.
“We cannot afford to do
so because we strive for the
people, and it is their dreams
that we were elected to protect, foster and realise. We
will press forward.
“But we do face challenges. And in the face of those
challenges we must be resolute. We must not allow
those who seek to reduce
our Parliament to a farce

government, it is in fact a
defeat for the brighter future they claim to want for
our people,” Ramotar said.
The president said the
progress made in Guyana
today is not invincible, not
irreversible and has to be
defended every day, with the
aim of forging ahead the developmental agenda in the
interests of all Guyanese.

Nonsensical stance

He pointed out that the
developmental path has
come under threat by the opposition’s nonsensical stance
that growth can be achieved
by cutting investment.
Ramotar said the opposition’s plans have nothing

ver in the U.S. and China, their foreign policy wonks
are working overtime to place relations between
the U.S. and China within some kind of conceptual
framework, as the latter inevitably challenges the post-1989
hegemonic position of the former. Two Harvard professors
referred to the Chinese challenge as “the Thucydides Trap”
and this was picked up in China.
Seeking to explain the cause of the great Peloponnesian
War of the fifth century BC, Thucydides’ conclusion was,
“What made war inevitable was the growth of Athenian
power and the fear which this caused in Sparta.” In the
centuries since, scholars have pondered how power shifts
between states have led to competitive tensions, which
sometimes have been managed and sometimes led to
conflict. The meeting between the presidents of the U.S. and
China two months ago was one attempt to avoid that deadly
combination of calculation and emotion that, over the years,
can turn a healthy rivalry into antagonism or worse.
Thucydides spawned the school of political “realism”,
the school of thought which posits that interstate relations
are based on might rather than right. Following his lead,
theorists have avoided applying the theory to relations
within a particular state on the assumption that unlike interstate relations, the former are guided by agreed upon moral
rules for the good of the wider society. Thucydides drew
a fundamental distinction between the mode of politics
within a certain state and the pattern of political interaction
among several states.
Within a state, citizens enter a community based on a
form of social contract, which provides the protection of
laws at the expense of some individual freedoms. As a result
of the legal equality with which the social contract provides
the citizens, the weak are able to withstand the strong and
ethical considerations are respected. In the international
realm, however, there is no social contract among citizens
of different states and, consequently, there are no laws to
defend legality and morality of state interactions. Thus, in
interstate relations, it is the strong who decide how the
weak should be treated, as moral or ethical judgments are
virtually nonexistent.
Later realists, such as Niccolò Machiavelli, agreed with
Thucydides that “might makes right”, but argued that it
might be applied within a state for a “prince” (competitor
for power) to secure and retain power. Forbes Burnham, the
founder of the People’s National Congress (PNC), famously
boasted that Machiavelli’s “Prince” was one of his favourite
texts and guiding light. His party was evidently moulded
along that philosophy, because even though his successor,
Desmond Hoyte was persuaded by their original sponsor, the
U.S., to allow free and fair elections, he and his successors
reverted to Thucydides’ amoral stance of interstate actors
when dealing domestically with the People’s Progressive
Party/Civic (PPP/C) government after the 1997 elections
and up to 2011. The “slow fyaah, mo’ fyaah” strategy was a
direct attack on the state with no holds barred or any sign of
morality displayed.
The PPP/C had announced, at their ongoing congress this
weekend, that they would be discussing improved relations
with the PNC. This would be analogous to the effort of the
Chinese and Americans to work out rules of engagement. In
our instance, the PPP/C must insist on adherence to the rules
of democratic governance. David Granger, the present leader
of the PNC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), is a
trained historian and should be fully aware of the dangers of
the “Thucydides Trap”. But in his case, he should be also alert
that it was not only “fear” that drove Sparta and Athens into
conflict but also the behaviour of two of their allies.
One of the PNC’s allies in APNU and another in the
Parliament have been pushing for more radical actions
against the PPP/C government in tones reminiscent of the
amoral “mo fyaah” strategy. Before the PPP/C can have any
confidence in working with the PNC, the latter must rein in
its bellicose allies.

The winning entries in the 25th annual National Geographic Traveller Photo Contest have just been announced. Here is the third-place
winner: Cheetahs jumped on the vehicle of tourists in Masai Mara national park, Kenya (The Atlantic)

We should recognise the
good side of GPL
Dear Editor,
The Guyana Power and
Light (GPL) company is indeed in a measure of trouble, but it is emerging out
of it and making some great
progress. I refer here to the
imminent subsidy to assist
pensioners to pay their electricity bills. This may be realised by September this
year, and to bring about this
is truly awesome.
GPL took a heavy clobbering from the joint opposition, as its members slashed
the 2013 budgetary allocation. In fact GPL had to start
downsizing where staffing is

concerned. Sad but very true!
Now I live on the East
Coast of Demerara and I did
get upset like late last year.
However, where I live, there
have been very few cases of
blackouts. I attribute this to
the upgrading and general
maintenance work of GPL.
So again, even though targeted by the opposition, GPL
is making things happen.
When it comes to aid for
the elderly, the human services and social security
minister positively indicated
that the ministry has been
working with GPL to have
all pensioners entitled to a

government subsidy placed
on the GPL database.
This
is
remarkable.
Already the elderly of the
country are privy to the water subsidy from the Guyana
Water Incorporated (GWI).
This is running smooth and
the recipients are extremely
grateful.
Now GPL has gone this
route. It has identified more
than 6000 pensioners on its
customer base and these will
benefit from government’s
annual provision of $20,000
as assistance for the payment of electricity charges.
GPL is not perfect, but

when it shows compassion
and works hard, we should
not withhold our gratitude.
We need to cooperate too by
being more careful with our
use of electricity. The stealing of electricity and the failure to pay our rates are bad
traits that must go.
I urge all to be on the
alert. I have reported a few
cases of electricity theft and
we should be stronger here
in getting these people who
practise this ill. It is costing
the company too much.
Yours sincerely,
Trishane Miller

No to the Kitty seawall lime
Dear Editor,
I say a big ‘no’ to any kind
of backward move. I think
that if the Sunday Kitty
seawall lime should ever go
back to where it was, it will
be a big mistake. Some of
the negatives are too terrible to think of. Noise, traffic,
a few snatching of people’s
items, and if I add waste of
time and money, this makes

it even worse.
The thing is that there
must be a place for social interaction and relaxation, but
when these kinds of things
affect the well-being of others, they must take a backseat. I can understand when
it is occasional, even if once
per month. I myself will go
out there on Easter or Diwali.
However, weekly gatherings

are not working out too well,
especially when they go all
the way into the morning.
Let me come now to the
mess the lime creates. The
cleaning-up is something
that the authorities must
come to grips with. This is a
lot of wasted manpower and
money. Even if we had the
culture of being clean and
were aesthetically minded,

the lime is not at a suitable
junction, and it must be set
to close at a specific time.
I suggest that the lime
move to a place that will allow for revellers to be safe
and non-disruptive. Maybe,
the bandstand area is the
place.
Yours faithfully,
Martin Da Sent

Rape is wrong, but we should
be careful
Dear Editor,
Not in this day and not in
any part of the world should
a woman ever take rides
from just about any male.

This is what apparently happened in Crabwood Creek,
Corentyne, Berbice recently.
I cannot condone rape,
or any other crime, but I

am still puzzled by people
taking too much for granted. Why would a young lady
take such chances? We all
need to be extra careful.

Criminality and criminals
are no respecters of persons.
Respectfully,
Devina Persaud

Let us address tolling The Diamond hospital
in Linden peacefully and its high rating
Dear Editor,
I am very puzzled by
what’s happening in the
Linden area, and specifically it has to do with the tolls
that are being collected. I
really need clarification on
this. I send things through
that area once per month,
and to my utter dismay, my
transportation guy charged
extra. Reason: this toll that
he was forced to pay. I sense
that there are a few belligerent elements spoiling for
trouble.
The Natural Resources
and Environment Ministry
has written the Local
Government and Public
Works ministries regarding
the collection of tolls by authorities in Linden for vehicles to pass through the
township. Well, I am glad
that things are being investigated properly. I admire
the management line that
the Natural Resources and
Environment Ministry is
taking. It is going through
the Local Government and

Public Works ministries.
This is always advisable.
Then, these authorities
in Linden puzzle me. Who
are these people? And is it
legal what they are doing?
I surmise the negative here
as numerous complaints
have been coming from the
Guyana Gold and Diamond
Miners
Association
(GGDMA). These people are
peeved that persons are being charged a toll when traversing Linden en route to
the interior. This is a serious matter.
This takes me back to
the seawall lime at the
bandstand a few weeks
ago. Illegal tolling was being done there and the police had to step in. Now that
we are aware of what is happening, we should await the
outcome. The ministry has
thus far advised persons
affected, that a letter was
written and clarification on
this matter is imminent.
Now the purpose of the
tolling is not bad, as ex-

plained by some people in
Linden. The idea is to boost
the revenue of the Linden
Mayor and Town Council
(M&TC). The people want
to ensure that its by-laws
will now be in full force, that
is, those relating to the collection of tolls at the booth.
These have been neglected
for years. If this is so, then
the matter needs a good,
friendly sitting down and
talking over.
I ask for every stakeholder to come on board
and make this thing work.
Tolling is normal in so many
places in the world. So I cannot see this matter taking
too long to be resolved. If
tolling has to be held back
until the price of gold goes
up again, then that too is not
a problem. The bottom line
is that there is no need to allow a few aggressive people
to put the whole lot of good
ones at any disadvantage.
Sincerely,
Cedric Solomon

The crime wave must end
Dear Editor,
This Berbice crime spree
is too protracted. We have
to watch it. I have a feeling something is about to
give. Just when I thought of
a kind of reprieve, a Berbice
man is nursing a gunshot
wound to his left forearm after an attempted robbery. It
was the very eve of this day
of the robbery that I met a
Berbician who was telling
me that he was getting jittery. Now I have to say “no
wonder”.
This victim was shot during a confrontation with
about four men and right in
front of his home at Tain.
According to the man’s son,
his father knows one of the
bandits and that is why he

was shot. It was this recognition factor that really triggered things off. The bandits
were apparently staked out
in an old bathroom on the
road. This bathroom is very
close to the victim’s house.
So, this is what we have to
guard against.
In Mon Repos, on the
Agriculture Road, there is
a kind of empty van there,
with a closed up tray. The
first time I saw that I said
that a thief or rapist can
hide there and wait for
unsuspecting people and
pounce on them.
How about the many
market stalls? They are usually dark and a crook can
easily hide there and wait.
We have to move to get rid

of anything that may allow
for this kind of concealment.
The next thing I advocate
for is that of not taking any
chance. The man is lucky –
he could have been killed.
He noticed a few strange
happenings, yet he did not
call the police. We cannot
take chances. Now, this is a
gun situation and one man
can be identified.
Even as the police conduct their investigation into
the matter, we must support
them – if we know, we must
always tell. Crime fighting
is everybody’s business.
Respectfully
submitted,
Anwar Baksh

The Diamond Diagnostic Centre (the East Demerara Regional Hospital)

Dear Editor,
The good news and the
bad sometimes go together. This is so where the
Diamond Diagnostic Centre
is concerned. It got a very
high rating when representatives of the Parliamentary
Sectoral
Committee
on
Social Services inspected
it and served out an 80 per
cent rating, stating that
they were pleased with the
condition of the facility.
All agree that it was
the Regional Democratic
Council (RDC) that should be
knocked a bit. The members
need to shape up. Everyone
within an organisation is
important and if the RDC
can latch on to this idea,

then things will improve
now at Diamond. Note, I am
pinpointing things that are
basically non-medical. The
medical aspect was okay.
For example, it was recommended that there be a
facelift and improved management to bring the hospital up to where it should be.
One such initiative is that
of basic tree-planting in the
compound. Then there is
the issue of the replacement
of tiles and seats in the various waiting areas so as to
create a good first impression.
I recall visiting a doctor’s
office right here in Guyana.
The wise practitioner had
all kinds of medical paint-

ings on one of his walls. He
explained that an art student did it just for practice. Imagine. A thing like
this can be thought of for so
many offices and building.
Many art students would
just love this idea, that is, to
get to paint on a real wall.
Many times, they will do it
for free too, but a token is always in order.
I trust that the people at
the Diamond health facility
will keep their good work up
and get better in those weak
areas.
Yours sincerely,
Resident of Diamond
Name withheld by
request

6

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2013

Page

Anu Dev

W

ell the Limacol
CPL T-20 is well
and truly underway, and Guyana has their
third and final home-game
tonight. So far our team has
convincingly won both of our
games. What a start!! We’ve
stifled Jamaica and Gayle,
we’ve beaten Trinidad,
and now we’re hopefully about to crush St
Lucia.
Being at the stadium,
seeing the cricketers right
in front of you, playing live,
seeing them looking at the
same (but bigger!) screen
that we’re used to looking at to see the verdict on
the ‘decision pending’, really gets your heart racing.
On Friday night, the roar
from the crowd when Gayle
got run out literally gave me
shivers. It was powerful.
The whole vibe of the
stadium’s,
15,000+
people rallying together to support our team,
thousands of flags waving in unison, horns blaring, people sitting on the
edges of their seats – it’s really something.
There’s this indescribable feeling of pride that you

guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

Five ways
to save for
your child’s
education

Guyana
(Amazing)
Amazon
Warriors!
get when you’re looking at
your home team play. Never
mind all of the players on
the team aren’t Guyanese:
they’re wearing our uniform, our colours, we feel
that same sense of them being a part of our team, of being ours. Maybe this will be
the end of our parochialism?
And now with the sixth
and seventh matches being played
tonight,

we’re far enough into the
tournament, that we fans
are obsessively crunching the numbers to work
out the net run rates, tal-

lying the points, deciding which teams we should
back depending on whatever outcome should favour
Guyana. (At last, some use
for maths!)
Throughout the tournament so far, I’ve been continuously impressed by our
West Indian players. There’s just so
much talent in the West
Indies. Hopefully the
West Indian selectors are
taking note and will make
better (more professional)
decisions concerning selections for the West Indies
team. Because we really do
need some new blood on the
team before the older, more
experienced players retire
without being able to pass
on their wisdom, techniques
and tips.
Another nice thing
I’ve noticed about the
L-CPL, is that there
are so many of the older West Indian players from the ‘golden
age’ of West Indian cricket getting involved, whether in coaching capacities or
giving their input in other
ways. It’s like three sets of
West Indian players being

brought together – the past,
current and future.
I think the LCPL is probably one of the best things
to happen to West Indian
cricket in recent times – it’s
like a much needed revitalising injection. The fans,
especially Guyanese fans
who’ve been long starved
from live cricket are now
getting a chance to see some
cricket. And then some!! It’s
allowing us to see some new
talent. It’s allowing us to
review some of the players
we’ve only seen play at the
regional levels. And it’s really nice seeing some of these
players, reminiscing, “Oh
remember
____________?
Remember that game when
he ____________?”
In time the LCPL should
also boost (revive?) the tourism industry of the entire
Caribbean, as the tournament gets bigger and more
cricket enthusiasts decide
to travel to the Caribbean
for both a vacation and the
cricket.
In the meantime, let’s
wave our flags, let’s raise
our glasses, and let’s lift
our voices and shout, “Go
Amazon Warriors!”

For parents who are
maximising their RESP
contributions and looking
for other ways to save, the
report offered these five
options:
Open a nonregistered account
The benefits of opening a non-registered account specifically for the
purpose of saving for your
child’s schooling is that it
is easy to set up, simple
to understand and offers
flexibility, the report says.
You can withdraw the
funds for whatever reason
at any time, and retain
control of them after your
child reaches the age of
majority. The downsides
are the temptation to use
these funds for something
other than your child’s education, as well as that
the parents will be taxed
on all the income and any
capital gains.
Set up a trust
A trust, a legal agreement where money is
transferred from one person to another according to specific terms, is a
good way to “manage, control and protect funds” because it gives a parent – or
grandparent – the peace of
mind of knowing that the
money will be used for its
intended purpose, the report says. It is important
to set up the trust properly with a written agreement that outlines terms
and conditions, it added,
noting that there are also
tax consequences to consider, depending on how
the trust
is funded.

Pay out corporate dividends
If you are incorporated or have an incorporated family business, you
could build up savings in
your corporate account
and pay them out in the
form of a corporate dividend at a later date to pay
for your child’s education,
the report says. Your child
would need to own shares
of your company. The benefit of this is that the dividends will be taxed in the
hands of your child, who
will presumably have a
low income, it added.
Get life insurance
Parents or grandparents can use life insurance to fund their child’s
or grandchild’s post-secondary education by building up and then tapping
into the excess cash value
within an insurance policy, the report says. The
benefit of this strategy is
that the growth would be
tax-deferred inside the
policy, it says, while it is
building while the downside is that the parents
or grandparents will lose
control over the money put
into the policy and the coverage offered by the contract.
Mike Holman, the author of The RESP Book
and the Money Smarts
blog, dismissed the idea
of saving for a child’s education through life insurance. “That’s a really
expensive way to save for
anything,” he says, pointing to the high fees and
commissions
associated
with this method.
He was also critical of the trust option, noting that
the child could
choose to use
their education
money for other
purposes. “At age
18, one might
be tempted to
buy a new corvette rather than
go to school. I know
I would have,” he
joked. (The Globe and
Mail)

7

International Financial
and Economic Report

SUNday, august 4, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Chairman, Guyana Americas Merchant Bank

BY GEOFFREY BELL

O

n Wednesday, the
Federal
Reserve
made no changes to
policy at the Federal Open
Market Committee (FOMC)
meeting and the second
quarter growth came in
at 1.7 per cent, which was
low but better than expected. The expectation is that
growth is picking up and
will rise by 2.5 per cent in
the second half of 2013.
This could enable the
Fed to stick to its “tapering”
timetable, cutting bond purchases to US$65 billion a
month from US$85 billion in
September while leaving interest rates at the short end
of the market unchanged.
But this is now in question
given the employment figures.
The biggest economic news came with the U.S.
employment and unemployment figures for July, which
will have a great influence
on the Federal Reserve’s decision to “taper” bond purchases. Unfortunately, they
were disappointing, showing only a 165,000 increase
in payrolls in July, rather than the forecast of a
185,000 gain and with a cumulative reduction of 26,000
in the numbers for the two
previous months.
Average hourly earnings
fell 0.1 per cent to US$23.98
and the average workweek
for all workers fell to 34.4
hours from 34.5 hours. The
good news is that the unemployment rate fell from 7.6
per cent in June to 7.4 per
cent in July, but the labour

participation rate dropped
to 63.4 from 63.5 suggesting
that some element of this
improvement was a result of
people stopping looking for
work.
Retailers added 47,000
workers while employment
in education and health services showed the smallest
gain in a year. Construction
employment fell and manufacturing rose for the first
time in five months.
The
Gross
Domestic
Product (GDP) numbers
for the second quarter announced the morning of the
FOMC statement were a
surprise. Most economists
had expected a growth of one
per cent (with some forecasting considerably less), but it
turned out to be 1.7 per cent
and with the previous quarter’s growth revised down to
1.1 per cent from the earlier
estimate of 1.8 per cent.
Consumer spending rose
as did non-residential fixed
investment, private investments and residential investments, and this was
partly offset by a reduction
in federal spending and net
exports. Also, there was
comprehensive benchmark
revision in the GDP num-

bers which lowered growth
for the prior four quarters,
with the average since the
recovery began in mid-2009
being only 2.2 per cent, below the long-term trend of
over three per cent.

cially with fiscal drag lessening as the year goes on.
For example, government
spending cut growth by 1.3
percentage points and 0.8
percentage points in the
previous two quarters, but

The overall view after
these adjustments is that of
an economy moving in the
right direction but mired
in a sluggish recovery that
prevents it from bringing
down unemployment quickly. Nevertheless, it appears
that the economy is gradually picking up steam espe-

this was reduced to 0.1 per
cent in the second quarter.
The overall view is that
growth will do better in the
second half of the year although the increase could
be adversely affected by the
growth of 0.4 per cent in inventories and the possibility of sluggish growth in em-

ployment.
The better-than-expected second quarter GDP
numbers (while low) had the
effect of pushing up interest
rates, but this was reversed
with the employment numbers on Friday.
This initial increase in
interest rates had little effect on currencies except on
the Japanese yen, which fell
from 98.3 to 99.5 on August
1, staying above 99 Friday.
But, somewhat surprisingly, the major traded currencies rose over the month of
July with the euro rising
2.3 per cent when most investors would have thought
the euro would go the other
way.
Also, as China slowed
down and there were worries about Chinese banks,
currencies in the Far East
generally fell. This was particularly the case for the
Australian dollar, which fell
two per cent in the month
and over 15 per cent from
April.
In addition, the slowdown in China and reduction in the demand for commodities had a generally
negative effect on South
American currencies with
the Brazilian real falling
more than 12 per cent this
year despite rising interest
rates. The Indian rupee fell
to over 60 in July and again
this resulted in rising interest rates.
Interestingly, Barclays
and Deutsche Bank both
revealed plans this week
to meet the “leverage ra-

tio” demanded by supervisors. Barclay’s announced
a £5.8 billion rights issue,
will borrow £2 million of hybrid debt, and shrink assets.
Deutsche Bank confirmed a
plan to reduce its balance
sheet by up to 20 per cent
and to do this soon to satisfy
the requirements of the supervisors.
In overseas news, Dr
Mario Draghi said the euro-area is through the worst
and interest rates would
then be kept low for the
foreseeable future.
The Bank of England
kept quantitative easing at
£375 billion with interest
rates unchanged and with
GDP growth in the second
quarter of 2013 at 0.6 per
cent, twice the level of the
first quarter. China’s government pledged to keep
growth at a “reasonable”
level which is generally anticipated to be 7.5 per cent.
The battle, particularly
between Dr Larry Summers
and Dr Janet Yellen, to succeed Dr Ben Bernanke as
chairman of the Federal
Reserve has really escalated
in the last two weeks. There
are articles on both sides
of the Atlantic about the
choice and now President
Barack Obama has put in
his two cents.
Being chairman of a central bank is clearly viewed
as
critically
important
and definitely worth having. Watch this space as
President Obama will not
make a decision for several
weeks!

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ATM scamp caught on camera
A
Republic Bank account holder is
seeking the public’s assistance to identify a man who stole his
Automatic Teller Machine
(ATM) card and more importantly, money from his
account.
Speaking to Guyana
Times on Friday, Deandre
Anderson said he visited
the bank’s New Market
Street branch on July 20
about 08:10h to make a
withdrawal.
He explained that he
collected the cash and left
in a hurry, as his young
children were waiting on

him.
In his rush, Anderson
forgot to end the transaction and left his card in
the ATM machine, providing a man with whom he
crossed paths in the bank
with the means and opportunity to have full access
to his account.
The man withdrew
$63,000 from Anderson’s
account.
According to Anderson,
he reported the matter
to the Brickdam Police
Station and with the station’s assistance, he was
able to acquire video footage from Republic Bank

showing the culprit withdrawing the money from
his account.
“I know it is not anybody else who was in the
bank with me, because
from the footage I got
from the bank, it showed
that it’s a man who I
crossed paths with. While
I was going out, he was
going in,” Anderson told
this publication.
The Republic Bank account holder said while
the
financial
institution has promised to offer its assistance, it cannot source a name for the
individual visible in the

footage, since he did not
use his ATM card on the
day in question.
He said the police force
told him that the bank’s
help is integral in investigating the incident.
Anderson
believes
enough time has passed
for some evidence to be
gathered that could lead
to the man’s arrest.
Anyone with information on the man’s whereabouts or his name is also
being asked to contact the
nearest police station or
to call Anderson directly
on cell number 678-0066.

Eyew tness
No back
door...

T

...for opposition

he early news from the People Progressive Party/
Civic (PPP/C) Congress, coming from the man who
decides these things – from the horse’s mouth so
to speak – is that the door has been slammed firmly shut
in the face of the opposition as far as getting a piece
of executive power is concerned. No power sharing!!
President Donald Ramotar was in a pugnacious mood
as he slipped seamlessly from the straitjacket of the
presidential protocols to the head of the largest political
party in the land.
He could “tell it as it is” on a whole range of issues.
The whole country can see by now that the opposition
– emboldened by their one-seat majority in the National
Assembly – spent the last two years ignoring the duties
inherent in the leadership of that branch of government.
But lusting 24/7 for the powers of the executive.
Take just one aspect of the assembly’s function –
scrutinising the work of the government in real time.
Four new sectoral committees were formed, which gave
them the wherewithal to question every aspect of the
executive’s performance – but these went into hibernation
as the opposition preferred to “play president” and craft
the budget!
Take the Amaila Falls hydro project. The Economic
Services Committee (ESC) – led and dominated by
the opposition – could’ve called any member of the
government or any of its agencies to testify about it.
They claim they don’t have experts to analyse the project
technically (this hasn’t stopped them from mouthing off
on any number of issues beyond their ken) but in the ESC,
they’re entitled to hire experts to assist them in their
analyses.
But they refused to go that route, didn’t they?? After
all, that would mean reading reports and asking questions
out of the glare (and publicity) of the parliamentary floor.
That would mean work – and that’s one four letter word
that drives fear into the hearts of the opposition!! No,
they’d rather play “president”.
After attempting to accommodate their egos in the
tripartite talks, the very patient president finally accepted
that short of him walking out of the Office of the President
(OP), nothing else would please this opposition. We
understand that in the first round of this gratuitous act
of statesmanship on the part of the president, a fellow
who used to be his water-boy in the day – but is now an
“opposition leader” – asked to “try out” the presidential
chair.
He refused to participate in further tripartite talks
after being rebuffed by the president. Well, looks like he’ll
be pouting for another three years!!

...on local government

In the olden days, they used to talk about years in
“scores” – with “one score” being 20 years. A full lifetime
was said to be “three scores and ten” – that is 70 years.
Well, it looks like the opposition want the country to fulfil
a full score of years – almost one third of our lifetime
– before we have local government elections (LGE).
Remember that the last LGE was in 1994 and next year
will be 2014.
Think of it...there are probably a hundred thousand
voters who know of no other mayor of Georgetown than
Hamilton Green. But what makes this situation even more
obscene is that while the opposition scream from one side
of their mouths that they want LGE, they do everything in
their power to prevent it from actually happening.
Look at the last fiasco. The government swallowed
hard and accepted the four bills on LGE to be placed on
the order paper because they wanted LGE this year. Then
the opposition out of the blue switches the bills around,
forcing the government to balk.
And hanging Green for another year around our necks.

...for the Warriors!!

The Guyana Amazon Warriors have shown they intend
to enter through the front door for a shot at the Limacol
Caribbean Premier League trophy. Two wins in a row –
and the highest net run-rate!! Go Warriors!! Hunt down
that trophy!

news

9

SUNday, august 4, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Billions being invested on improving road
network along East Bank Demerara

Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali and his team during an inspection of road works on the
East Bank Demerara

The Farm access road

lose to $10 billion is
being invested into
infrastructural
improvements on the East
Bank Demerara to alleviate
the large volume of traffic
along that corridor.
Housing
and
Water
Minister Irfaan Ali made
this disclosure while he
pointed to the benefits of the
expansion underway with
the development of additional housing schemes in that
area.
Congruent to the hous-

Housing
and
Planning
Authority (CHPA) Project
Manager Fazal Wahab, who
accompanied the minister
and his team, noted that the
goal of the construction of the
alternative roadways is to
link Ogle to Providence and
then as time and revenue
permit, from Ogle to further
down the East Bank.
“This development is
massive, it is over 4000 acres
of land and at the end of it,
we will see approximately
10 east to west connecting

C

ing development, the ministry has also undertaken
to construct a series of “connecting” roads linking the
schemes; among these are
the access roads in Farm and
Herstelling, where $2 billion
has already been invested.
During a tour of the area
last week, Ali and his team
of engineers inspected the
works done on these feeder
roads and reiterated the benefits of the additional network of roads linking the
communities along the cor-

ridor.
“This is the latest development of the East Bank
Development Infrastructure
Project, this one of six 25 foot
roads that will stretch all the
way from Diamond to various points; we will have six of
those. This one is an 18 foot
road goes all the way down to
the high voltage dam where
the main collector’s road will
be,” Ali explained as he inspected the works completed
at Farm.
Meanwhile,
Central

roads. So far we have identified six connecting roads going all the way initially from
Diamond-Herstelling area
and then linking there to go
on to Eccles. That would significantly take the burden
off the existing East Bank
Road congestion, not only to
serve that purpose, but will
also integrate the community from Diamond all the way
to Eccles.”
Wahab revealed too that
at the end of the construction
phase, commuters can expect

PPP/C hasn’t strayed from Dr Jagan’s ideals...
“In fact, they have voted down pretty much everything they can find that is
ambitious, planned and good
for the people of Guyana.”

Uncaring and unfit to lead

He said the opposition
has made it abundantly
clear that they do not care
about the people of Guyana
as a whole or even the people who supported them.
Ramotar explained that
this was evident last year
in Linden, where they conspired to foster disruptions
and unrest that impacted
in a hugely negative way
on the life and businesses of

their supposed constituents.
The deaths that occurred
there were a tragedy, he
said, noting that his heart
goes out to their families.
This year again, he said
the opposition continued to
demonstrate that they are
unfit to lead Guyana, noting that the budget was developed to bolster economic growth, create thousands
of new jobs and put in place
the building blocks for the
future of Guyana, yet the opposition stalled Parliament
and put the brakes on development, by cutting $31 billion from the budget.
“I understand and sym-

pathise with many Guyanese
I meet who daily come up
to tell me, ‘Mr President –
Parliament not working,
boy’, and ‘Parliament messing up things’, and that is
relating to some of the less
colourful statements I have

heard.
“This is a serious issue. In fact, it is a wound on
the body politic of our nation. It is a wound and one
that is festering and reopening every time a sensible,
moral and costed develop-

ment project is stalled because the opposition wants
to hold back progress, or the
cheap publicity or promoting agendas inimical to our
people.
“We have to resist these
acts vigorously.

to utilise roadways that will
be completed above the international standard of a 12foot carriageway.
He said too that the road
will definitely allow for easier access to the East Coast
and Georgetown, saving
commuters valuable time.
The Housing Ministry
is currently paving all the
main roads leading into various schemes; this will be followed by the resurfacing of
the internal roads as occupancy increases.

from page 3

“We must therefore rise,
reorganise and rebuild – as
someone once said – share
ideas, define the points of
disagreement and overcome
these while continuing to
deliver development for all,”
Ramotar said.

10 news

SUNday, august 4, 2013 | guyanatimeSGY.com

Tears of
an exPPCEE…
S

atiricus was nothing if not Guyanese. And that
meant the three passions of his life were cricket,
politics and, of course, spirituous drinks. And in
case his wife reads this, she pips them all!! So Satiricus
was in pig’s heaven with the Guyana Amazon Warriors
starting off with such a bang, the People’s Progressive
Party/Civic (PPP/C) congress going on in Berbice and, of
course, drinks with the boys in the Providence stands.
How sweet it is!!
And here it was, in his sweaty palms, the diary of the
Naga Man, filched by his trusty niece, Leelawatee, maid
to the opposition. Satiricus was just wondering what was
going on in the mind of the Naga Man – who spent five
decades with the PPCEE – and was now salivating from
the outside looking in. Well, now he’ll find out...
Dear Diary,
You gon got to excuse me if me handwritin’ lil shaky.
Imagine congress going on right here in Berbice and Ah
out. Ah had to take a few drinks to steady me hands. Well
more than a few, to tell the truth. And you know Ah does
always tell you the truth, DD. Was really a whole bottle
of El Dorado.
But it wasn’t the same like when Ah used to tek a
drink in the night after the congress sessions. Man, we
supporters used to prepare that bunjal duck, so goooood!
These KFC people cyaan match them. I wonder why they
only preparin’ fried chicken? Like they think we is the
other KFC or what?
But DD, is not only the drinking and the cutters Ah
miss. Ah miss going around and telling all them delegates
how Cheddi train me and Ah was he successor. That was
how Ah used to get plenty votes more than RR. He now
talking like how he was de one to pick up Cheddi crown.
But PPCEE democratic – people got to vote for you.
Nobody used to vote for RR. The man never could
mix with people. He was so stiff, was like he stick a steel
rod up he behind! You got to excuse me language, DD,
but you know how I cyaan stand RR? Because he was a
lawyer, he always used to play like he bigger than the rest
of we.
And to tell the truth again, DD, that was why I went to
law school in me old age. I secretly wanted to play like I
was bigger and better than all them people at congress.
And Ah know if I was a lawyer and a drinka, who could
stop me? Especially when Ah know Ah gon get bunjal
duck at night.
But all that done, DD. Ah never think they woulda pick
Gandhi ahead of me to be president. What the hell Ah
was to do after spending all that time with little boys and
girls in law school? Ah had to walk. But look how much
fun Ah missing.
Excuse me DD. Ah got to knock down another bottle
of rum.
It’s rum till Ah die!!

East Canje labourer
granted bail for
fraudulent conversion

A

n East Canje labourer has been placed on
$45,000 bail when he
appeared before Magistrate
Rhondell Weaver on a
charge of fraudulent conversion.
Keshna
Pema
of
Canefield,
East
Canje
appeared in the New
Amsterdam
Magistrate’s
Court on Friday to answer
to a charge which states that
he was entrusted with five
gold rings valued at $90,000

by Hamza Khan.
Police Prosecutor Phillip
Sherriff told the court that
Khan converted the property to his own use and benefit. However, the 35-year-old
accused told the court that
he did not use the rings for
his own benefit.
According to him, the
gold rings were misplaced.
After allowing per trial liberty to Pema, the court ordered him to return to court
on August 30.

11

SUNday, august 4, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

12 news

sunDAY, AUGUST 4, 2013 | guyanatimeSGY.com

Amaila Falls project a
unique opportunity for
Guyana – employees

T

he
Amaila
Falls
Hydropower Project
(AFHP) is Guyana’s
largest
transformational
venture that has presented
an exceptional opportunity
for many to be involved in a
historic achievement. This
was the view expressed by
several of those employed
on the construction of the
access road to the proposed
site in Region Eight.
Among those working towards the building of what
is expected to be Guyana’s
largest and most expensive
project is Environmental
Officer Sherilyn Innis. The
University of Guyana grad-

A section of the Amaila Falls project access road

Environmental Officer Sherilyn Innis on one of the Amaila Falls’
access road

uate enjoys the unique position of being the only female,
thus far, employed in a formerly, traditionally, male
dominated position. Her responsibility covers sections
three, four, five, six and seven of the access road currently under construction.
There are challenges
as they progress, she said,
but these are being tackled meaningfully. “We have
some erosion issues due to
the weather, some health
and safety issues with workers as some of them are not
accustomed to wearing safety gear and we have to explain the importance of this.
We constantly monitor the
quality of water in adjacent
waterways such as streams
and creeks and we also are

dealing with wildlife fragmentation. To deal with
this, we clear a 10-metre
gap for every 50 metres of
roadway that is built to allow wildlife to transit and
now we are seeing them using the gaps,” Innis said.
The 23-year-old said
while she has been the only
female employed on this
phase of the project that is
not a cook, it has not been
difficult due to the fact that
during her classes at the
University of Guyana, she
was in the field for practical training and experience.
She said, “It’s not new territory.”
Innis said that the AFHP
is one which is needed by
the nation. “I think it’s a
very good project and all

Guyanese should support it.”
For Toolsie Persaud
Limited’s Camp Manager,
Gerald Alvin Mc Intyre, it is
a chance to be part of the nation’s history on an undertaking that he described as
being long overdue. “Since
I was young, we have been
hearing about hydro and
with all the water resources
that we have it’s time we get
this done. We should get our
act together, it’s not a PPP
project, and it’s a national
project, that’s why I’m here
to give my contribution to
the Guyanese people.”
McIntyre, with decades
of experience in Guyana’s
hinterland, said that the
weather has affected the
pace of road construction,
but he is confident that
the completion deadline of
December 31 for the access
road will be met.
“When the rain falls
heavily, it can delay us
about two to three days, but
we recently had a meeting
and it was suggested that
we work up to 11 pm once
possible to push it through.”
Dozens of Guyanese are
employed on the AFHP access road construction in
various sections, and many
of them hope that once completed, Guyana can have its
largest hydro power plant
supplying the nation with
cheap, reliable and clean
power.

Hospital staffers on $700,000
bail for stealing insulin

T

wo staff members of
the New Amsterdam
Hospital have been
placed on a total of $700,000
bail for stealing insulin from
the institution.
The
duo
appeared
in the New Amsterdam
Magistrate’s Court on Friday,
charged for breaking and entering the government facility
and stealing the drug.
Joel Davison, an office assistant employed at the New
Amsterdam Hospital and
Michael Anthony Wharton,
a porter working at the
same institution pleaded not
guilty to the charge.
According
to
Police
Prosecutor Phillip Sherriff,
on July 29, the men broke

into the hospital and stole
220 bottles of insulin valued
at $245,580, property of the
Health Ministry.
Wharton told Magistrate
Rhondell Weaver that his
brother-in-law gave him a
bag containing the insulin.
“I went to collect something from him but I did
not know that it was insulin.” The 21-year-old of
Alexander
Street,
New
Amsterdam said he was never charged before.
Davidson
of
Fort
Ordnance Housing Scheme
told the court that he had a
spiral injury. According to
the 34-year-old, he is awaiting a date for surgery.
Magistrate
Weaver

placed the men on $350,000
bail each and ordered that
they return to court on
August 30.
Meanwhile, Amba Lees,
a licensed pharmacist of
Independence Avenue, Rose
Hall Town appeared before
the same magistrate on a
charge of receiving stolen
property.
Sherriff told the court
that Amber bought the 220
bottles of insulin on July 29
from Davidson at her business place. The 32-year-old
Lees pleaded not guilty and
was placed on $250,000 bail.
Her case has been
transferred to the Albion
Magistrate's Court and will
come up again on August 29.

NEWS

13

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ex-soldier commits suicide after
hammering wife to death
A
n
ex-soldier
on
Saturday
morning
hammered his wife
to death in their Jonestown,
Mahaica,
East
Coast
Demerara (ECD) home and
then took his own life.
Vanessa
RichmondJames, 26, of 125 Jonestown,
Mahaica ECD was discovered on Saturday morning
about 06:00h by her sister
who went to check on her after receiving news that her
brother-in-law ingested a
poisonous substance.
Richmond’s
husband,
Ryan James, 30, reportedly collapsed in a neighbour’s
yard after informing them
that he ingested weedicides,
which were stored in his
bathroom.
He was rushed to the
Mahaicony Cottage Hospital
where he was pronounced
dead on arrival, while the
woman was found on her
bed with her throat slit and
several stab wounds on the

back. Her hands and feet
were bound.
Police investigators have
since taken possession of a
bloodstained hammer from
the scene which is suspected
to be one of the murder weapons use to commit the act.
At the house of the murdered woman on Saturday
morning, her mother, Shelia
Lewis explained that her
daughter visited her on Friday
evening at her house to plait
her hair in preparation for a
wedding on Saturday.
She said during their discussions, her daughter informed her that she wanted
to end the relationship with
James, but as a mother, she
encouraged her to stay “for
the sake” of the couple’s twoyear old son.

Insecure

Her daughter, she noted
complained of James’ insecurity, noting that he would
return home every afternoon

the neighbour called he
mother who tek he to the
hospital… I draw on meh
clothes and rushed to the
neighbour house who tell me
fuh go look for Vanessa… I
sent meh daughter and she
start scream and tell me to
come in de house.”

Gruesome scene

Murdered housewife:
Vanessa Richmond

and questioned their son.
“He would come home
and find out from he son,
how much time the phone
ring… who called… where
Vanessa went… who she left
with… what she wear… why
she didn’t answer the landline and de list go on,” the
aggrieved mother stated.
She said after plaiting

Ryan James with his son in happier times

her hair, her daughter left
for her home and went to
her in-laws to drop off her
son to spend the night there
since she had intentions of
attending the “queh queh”.
The distraught mother
said later in the night, she
received a telephone call
from her daughter enquiring about her location. “I
tell she I home and she can
go ahead… she and she husband left for the function and
we went later,” she added.
Close to midnight, Lewis
stated that her daughter
informed her that she was
leaving. “I stay back and

then left about 03:00h; I
went to the market and meh
husband nephew come collect we and drop we home…
so whilst home, we had to
pass meh daughter house
so I called out fuh she but
I ain’t get no answer, but
the house light went on…
so I went home and drop
meh self on the bed,” she revealed.
About 06:00h, she was
awakened by her nephew’s
voice calling at the gate and
got up to find out what he
wanted.
“He seh that Vanessa
husband drink poison and

Lewis went on to say
that upon entering her
daughter’s house, she saw
Vanessa’s lifeless body on
the bed with her face covered with a pillow, a cloth
in her mouth and her hands
and feet tied.
As investigators arrived
on the scene, they confirmed
that the woman was lashed
to head and her back bore
several holes which indicated that she was stabbed.
The body of the woman
was removed and taken to
the Lyken’s Funeral Home
where it is awaiting a postmortem examination.
Guyana Times was able
to see Vanessa’s diary and
in it contained several accusations of infidelity made by
her husband.
James was a cash crop
farmer while Vanessa was a
housewife, who looked after
their kitchen garden.
The couple dated for several years, but they got married about two years ago
even though their relationship was rocky, sources say.

Digicel introduces $30 roaming rate

D

igicel,
the
leading mobile communications
provider
in Guyana on Friday announced that the company has introduced a special
roaming rate of only $30 to
its subscribers.
This special rate is available to customers roaming
in the U.S., Canada and
the Caribbean. In order
to access the $30 roaming
rate, customers must subscribe to this service by dialing *130#. Subscription
fee costs $2000 for a one
week plan. The $30 rate
applies to both voice calls
and text messages while
the data charge is 10c per
kilobyte.
Digicel
head
of
Marketing,
Jacqueline
James commented that
“Digicel is ecstatic about
this new offer since it will be
beneficial to many customers.”
“Persons no longer have
to turn off their phones
when they travel because
Digicel is making roaming affordable. We would
like to encourage persons
to take advantage of this
amazing new deal. Signing
up is very simple and both
pre-paid and post-paid customers can enjoy this new
$30 to roam offer,” James
added.
The $30 roaming rate,
which is the lowest rate offered by any network in
Guyana, is applicable to the

Digicel's head of marketing,
Jacqueline James

following networks: Digicel,
AT&T, U.S.A., T Mobile,
U.S.A., Rogers Canada, Bell
Canada, Telus Canada and
Wind Canada.
After 11 years of operation, Digicel Group Limited
has over 13 million customers across its 31 markets
in the Caribbean, Central
America and the Pacific. The
company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and the best network.
Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central
American
and
Pacific
sports teams, including the
Special Olympics teams
throughout these regions.
Digicel sponsors the West
Indies cricket team and is
also the title sponsor of the
Digicel Caribbean Cup. In

the Pacific, Digicel is the
proud sponsor of several
national rugby teams and
also sponsors the Vanuatu
cricket team.
Digicel also runs a host of
community-based initiatives
across its markets and has
set up Digicel Foundations
in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua
New Guinea which focus on
educational, cultural and
social development programmes.
In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars
– an annual talent show to
support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean.
The show has spanned the
Eastern Caribbean, Haiti,
Jamaica and Trinidad and
Tobago ranking as one of the
top-rated shows.
Digicel
is
incorporated in Bermuda and
its
markets
comprise:
Anguilla,
Antigua
and
Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados,
Bermuda,
Bonaire,
the
British Virgin Islands, the
Cayman Islands, Curacao,
Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji,
French Guiana, Grenada,
Guadeloupe,
Guyana,
Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique,
Nauru, Panama, Papua
New Guinea, Samoa, St
Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St
Vincent and the Grenadines,
Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad
and Tobago, Turks and
Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel
also has coverage in St
Martin and St Barts in the
Caribbean.

arliamentarians
are
not immune from extradition. That was
the comment given to the
Miami Herald newspaper
by Peter Carr, a spokesman for the United States
Department of Justice, following former National Security
Minister Jack Warner’s successful re-election as the
Member of Parliament for the
Chaguanas West constituency on Monday. Carr gave the
comment as the newspaper
highlighted Warner’s election
victory despite the fact that
several allegations of bribery
and corruption during his tenure in FIFA and CONCACAF
still hang over his head, and
the fact that he is the subject
of an FBI investigation.
Responding to questions

Jack Warner

about the allegations over
Warner’s head and the FBI
probe, Carr said the U.S.
Department of Justice does
not comment on cases under investigation. But he

noted that “parliamentarians are not immune from
extradition”. Warner’s victory received international attention, with news outlets as far as New Zealand
reporting on the election results. Warner, who was also
the chairman of the United
National Congress, resigned
from his posts and his seat
in Parliament in April, after
a damning report on his tenure at CONCACAF, which
was prepared by Sir David
Simmons. Warner has since
threatened to sue Simmons
over the report. Following his
resignation, Warner formed
the Independent Liberal
Party and beat the government’s candidate, Khadijah
Ameen, in a landslide victory on Monday. (Excerpt from Trinidad

E

into turmoil. Recognising for
the first time the strength of
popular protest against his
one-year rule, Morsi’s allies
said on Saturday they respected the demands of millions who took to the streets
before his overthrow.
A spokesman said the
Morsi camp, which has refused to abandon weeks of
sit-in protests until he is reinstated, wanted a solution
that would “respect all popular desires”. They told envoys from the United States

Jalalabad has seen frequent attacks in the past

Also, an eyewitness told
the BBC that one of the suspected bombers asked him
directions to the consulate
immediately before the attack. Hashimi said two of
the attackers wearing vests
laden with explosives got
out of the car and were immediately fired upon by police.
The remaining occupant

of the car then blew it up, he
told Reuters news agency. A
large crater was visible in
the road after the explosion,
which heavily damaged
houses and local shops. It
is not clear who was behind
the attack. Jalalabad has
frequently been the target of
militant attacks, including
a bomb blast at the airport
last year. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Guardian)

Conciliatory tones in Egypt as
envoys seek to avert bloodbath

gypt’s army-backed
rulers and allies of
its deposed Islamist
president gave the first signs
of a readiness to compromise on Saturday, pressed
by Western envoys trying to
head off more bloodshed.
Faced with the threat of
a crackdown on supporters
of the Muslim Brotherhood,
diplomacy appeared to pick
up pace, a month to the day
since Egypt’s army deposed
President Mohamed Morsi
and plunged the country

S

uicide bombers have
targeted the Indian
consulate in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad,
killing at least nine civilians. Three bombers drove
up in a car before detonating
their explosives, police said.
Gunfire was heard for an
hour after the blast which
took place at 10:00h local
time (06:30h GMT).
Most of the victims were
from a nearby mosque.
Indian officials say none of
their citizens were hurt. At
least 23 people, among them
children, were injured in the
Jalalabad attack, according
to the police. Deputy police
chief of Nangarhar province
Masum Khan Hashimi said
the blast, close to a mosque,
had been a failed attempt to
attack the Indian consulate.

and the European Union
that they reject any role in a
political settlement for army
chief General Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi, who led Morsi’s ouster, and want the constitution
he suspended to be restored.
“I respect and hold in
regard the demands of
the masses that went out
on June 30, but I will not
build on the military coup,”
spokesman Tarek El-Malt
told Reuters, relaying what
the pro-Morsi delegation
had told the envoys. (Excerpt from
Reuters)

UWI to offer short course on reparations

A

course on reparations, looking at the
issue of compensation
for slavery in the Caribbean,
will shortly be offered at
the University of the West
Indies (UWI), Mona. The
course is being designed by
lecturer in the Department
of Government in Political
Philosophy and Culture, Dr
Clinton Hutton. Speaking
at a Jamaica Information
Service (JIS) Think Tank on
Wednesday, Dr Hutton disclosed that the curriculum
will examine the argument
for reparation within a his-

torical context.
He said it is important
to educate the Caribbean
population about the issues
of slavery and reparation,
as many young people still
do not see a connection between themselves and their
enslaved ancestors.
“In other words, they
are unable to feel empathy
for their own ancestors,” he
stated, noting that the same
lack of feeling displayed for
our ancestors is the same
that the Europeans had towards black people.
Dr Hutton said that dur-

ing his lectures, some students have argued that the
reason their foreparents
were enslaved was because
they were uneducated. He
argued, however, that some
of the people who came
across the Middle Passage
were state makers, scientists and highly skilled individuals.
“In fact, the reason for
Europeans going to Africa
was that Africa was rich
in tropical agriculture and
not because of the physical
makeup of our ancestors,”
he stated. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

15

SUNDAY, august 4, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

16 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

The Guyana Annual Magazine launched No arrest made for

Petamber Persaud

T

he Guyana Annual
Magazine published
by
Guyenterprise
Advertising Agency and edited by Petamber Persaud
was launched on Friday.
The glossy 2012 to

2013 edition of the magazine was at Guyenterprise
Limited, Irving and Lance
Gibbs streets, Georgetown.
The publication was
identified as an important
instrument for Guyana’s
literary fraternity. This
edition features pieces on
copyright, cricket, and music and its relation to literature and cinema.
The volume has been
dedicated
to
outstanding Guyanese writer ER
Braithwaite, the author of
the famous novel “To Sir
with Love”.
Speaking at the launch,
Persaud said literary work
in Guyana is often not given the recognition it deserves, and hopes that the
launch will somewhat address this problem.

“We hope this launch
will help the Annual and
other literary matters go a
far way in Guyana.”
Persaud also disclosed
that soon the magazine will
be available online; however, the printed publication
will not be discontinued.
“We will print the magazine in the printed format
as always, but we have to
move with the time so the
annual will be going online.”
Meanwhile,
patron
of The Guyana Annual
Magazine, Dr Tulsi Dyal
Singh noted that the magazine suffered a hiatus over
the last few years due to
lack of funding, but said
with perseverance from Vic
Insanally, it was launched
again.

He too said literary and
the creative arts do not get
many sponsors. “It is always a challenge to get
quality material and to get
it done well.”
The magazine which
was founded in 1915 will
mark its centenary anniversary in 2015. It was founded in 1915 under the title
The Chronicle Christmas
Annual, later referred to
as the Christmas Annual.
Over the years, it has gone
through various modifications to meet the needs of
consumers. The magazine
costs $1000 and copies are
available at Austin’s Books
Store. If purchase is made
in bulk, it will be sold at
half price. It will also be
sold to schools at half price.

Pensioner severely beaten by bandits
A
security guard was
admitted a patient
at the Georgetown
Public Hospital after he
was severely beaten by bandits on Friday at his workplace in Stanleytown, New
Amsterdam, Berbice.
The injured man, who
was identified as Fredrick
Minty, 65, of Sheet Anchor
Canje was discovered in a
pool of blood by his colleague
Suraj Bootoon.
Guyana Times understands that about 08:00h
on Friday morning, Bootoon
went to take over from the

elderly man, but instead
found him lying on the compound with his face swollen
and bruises about his body.
Upon enquiring, Bootoon
was told that while Minty
was on duty on Thursday
evening, he was attacked by
two men who dealt him several lashes about his body.
They also took away the
man’s bicycle, a backpack
and other personal items
and made good their escape.
Bootoon
reportedly
raised an alarm which led to
public-spirited citizens rendering assistance to the in-

jured man who was subsequently taken to the New
Amsterdam Hospital for
treatment. He was later referred to Georgetown Public
Hospital
for
additional
treatment.

Shooting incident

Meanwhile, as police
continue their investigation into the shooting of
Terachand Harripersaud of
Lot 134 Clifton Settlement,
Corentyne,
Berbice
on
Friday evening, one man has
been arrested and is assist-

ing with investigations.
It was reported that
Harripersaud and a friend
went to make checks on a
washroom in their yard after
hearing unusual sounds.
As they approached the
washroom, three unidentified
men confronted them; one
who was armed with a small
gun jumped out of the facility and discharged a round
in their direction, hitting
Harripersaud to his left hand.
The suspects reportedly rode away while
Harripersaud was taken to
the Port Mourant Hospital,
where he was seen by a doctor and transferred to the
New Amsterdam Public
Hospital where he was admitted.

Mocha murder

P

olice are still to make
an arrest for the murder of Delon Melville,
26, of Lot 134 Nelson Street,
Mocha Arcadia, East Bank
Demerara, who was discovered dead behind the village three days after he went
missing.
As the police continue their investigations, it
was revealed that the numbers used to call relatives
of the dead might have belonged to someone residing
in Herstelling while another
caller is most likely from the
East Coast Demerara.
According to information received, the last person that spoke with the dead
man remains tightlipped,
but Guyana Times understands that the teenager and
Melville were close friends
and he might have confided
in her about his lifestyle.
The relatives believed
that the person who telephoned the young man on
Monday evening is known
to him as he would not have
left home, but cannot say
what occurred afterwards.
Investigators also believed
that more than one person
might have been involved in
the young man’s murder.
A relative of the dead
man stated that the postmortem is expected to be performed on Monday and this
will be followed by his funeral. The relative said preparations are being made for
the funeral, noting that the
killer(s) will be pursued after. Melville will be laid to
rest on Monday.
His body was discovered about a mile away from

Murdered: Delon Melville

the village with several stab
wounds about his body. There
were also signs of his head being shaved at the back and
his two legs were broken.
He was naked and a white
vest was wrapped around his
neck, partly covering his face.
This discovery has left villagers shocked and they are
pondering who might have
wanted to cause harm to the
young man since he was an
easy going person who always participated in church
activities.
Since the young man’s
disappearance on Monday,
relatives have contacted the
police.
They reportedly solicited a letter from the police to
produce to Digicel in order to
have a number traced.
The man’s body was found
about 06:30h by two teenagers who were made aware of
a decomposed body due to a
heavy stench. Relatives recognised him by a band he
was wearing and a birthmark on his leg. Melville
leaves to mourn his two sisters and a brother.

17

NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

49 children receive hampers MADEIN592.COM fashion
company to be launched
at diabetes youth camp

A

Some of the participants at the Health Ministry’s Annual Diabetes Youth Camp on Saturday at the
Splashmin’s Fun Park, with Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persaud and staff of the Health Ministry

S

ome 49 children with
type one diabetes have
received
hampers
when the Health Ministry
hosted its Annual Diabetes
Youth Camp on Saturday at
the Splashmin’s Fun Park.
Each hamper costs about
$40,000.
The hampers distributed
included glucometers, test
strips, lancets, prep pads,
novo pens and novo fine needles. The kind gesture is intended to aid the children in
the management of their illness.
Both the children and
their guardians were invited
to participate in the weekend
activity which ends today, to
learn more about their illness and ways to maintain
their health.
Chief Medical Officer Dr
Shamdeo Persaud, who distributed the hampers to the
youths and provided medical
advice to their parents, said
the initiative though simple,
is significant in the view of
the ministry.
“Type one diabetes is a
priority and we constantly
try to ensure children who

have this disease get the
right supplies and the right
management so that they
can grow up and be productive adults.”
He recalled that many
years ago, numerous persons
passed away due to type one
diabetes, emphasising that
now they have an opportunity to live a full life and make
meaningful contributions to
society due to the medication
available today.
The type one diabetes medication was procured through the Sponsor
a Child Initiative, a collaborative effort between the
Health Ministry and the
private sector.
Meanwhile,
several
parents who spoke with
Guyana Times expressed
gratitude for the help received.
Poonamdai Marendre,
a young mother who has a
son in the programme said
since her boy started getting the correct dosage of
medication, he is doing better in school.
“I think this is a wonderful programme,” she told

this publication, noting that
her family cannot afford all
the medication to treat her
son’s illness.
Malcom Johnson who
has two daughters also
lauded
the
initiative,
so
did
Chrandrawattie
Chandradat, a mother of an
affected daughter.
Some of the sponsors
of the programme NEW
GPC INC, Bounty Farm
Limited, the Guyana Bank
for Trade and Industry,
Trans Guyana and Roraima
Airways, among others.
The
initiative
was
launched in 2009 and is
now part of the ministry’s
annual programme.

partnership of Caribbean fashion and
marketing experts will on August 5
launch MADEIN592.COM, a United
States-based online fashion design and marketing company.
MADEIN592.COM will design, market
and sell exclusive, culturally rich Caribbean
couture.
Brands will be marketed through
the company’s trademarked websites
MADEIN592.COM, MADEIN868.COM and
MADEIN876.COM.
The website names and designs are derived from various countries’ telephone
codes – a novel concept in fashion intended
to capture diverse target markets. Guyana’s
country code is 592, Trinidad and Tobago –
868 and Jamaica – 876.
Designers Marcie De Santos, Keisha
Edwards, Kateri Savory and Roshini
Boodhoo have collaborated to create a unique
tapestry of designs that express the richness
of the Caribbean culture, to be highlighted
in men’s and women’s wear.
Management
consultant
Jermaine
Warde and Marketing Executive Fahmi
Waddell will bring cutting-edge management and sales techniques to MADEIN592.
COM’s sales and marketing strategy.
MADEIN592.COM founder Jermaine
Warde noted that the company will use
fashion to accentuate Caribbean culture
and that the clothing and designs will rekindle and inspire the “Spirit of Caribbean”.
He observed that the brands will be sold in
Caribbean and international markets that
embrace the Caribbean diaspora.
MADEIN592.COM Sales and Marketing
Vice President Fahmi Waddell revealed that

X2 member Adrian Dutchin displays one of the
jerseys of MADEIN592.COM

the company's brands will demonstrate originality, quality of fabric, comfort, exquisiteness and exclusivity.
Initial designs would include sports and
casual wear as well as gym and swimwear,
with other lines to follow.
Designer Marcie De Santos is an award
winning designer who has been honoured
for her innovation in the fashion industry.
The fashion industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the Caribbean.
MADEIN592.COM will embark on an initiative to give back to various Caribbean
countries through philanthropic action that
foster social development in under-served
communities.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2013

THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Bernice
Bede Osol

ARCHIE

CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22Jan. 19)
Don’t give up on something worthwhile that
you’ve been pursuing. The
results you’ve been hoping
for could be much closer
than you think.

AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20Feb. 19)
Your mental acuity
can be your greatest asset. If you think resourcefully, there’s no doubt
that you’ll have the ability to interest the right
people and get the help
you need.

PISCES
(Feb.
20-March
20)

DILBERT

You’ll have the rare
knack of being able to
turn an unusual development to your advantage.
Once you get on a roll,
you might do this in two
or more instances.

ARIES
(March
21-April 19)
Don’t delegate an important chore to a less-talented person. This can be
a rewarding day for you,
provided you select the
right person to do the job
– it might have to be you.

CANCER
(June 21July 22)
Don’t be hesitant in attempting to fulfil an important ambition. Numerous
challenges will awaken all
kinds of latent talents that
you may not have known
existed.

LEO
(July 23Aug. 22)
You’ll figure out how
to reach someone whom
you’ve thought of as being
cold and aloof. You’ve been
misreading this individual, and will now find him
or her warm and welcoming.

VIRGO
(Aug. 23Sept. 22)
his is an excellent
day to make a long-contemplated change that
could improve your finances. Once you iron out
any wrinkles, make your
move.

LIBRA
(Sept. 23Oct. 23)
If you feel that you
have to make an important decision that involves
others and could have farreaching effects, it’s important to have the courage of your convictions.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

TAURUS
(April 20May 20)

SCORPIO

Allow your extremely
perceptive mind to spot
where your best chances
for making a good profit
lie. Your instincts should
be right on the money, so
pay attention to them.

A situation in which
you’ve worked hard for
something that is being
denied you is likely to be
rectified today. It pays to
keep the faith.

GEMINI
(May 21June 20)

Because you’ll work effectively in most group involvements today, try to
avoid solitary pursuits.
When all is said and done,
the results will be exceptionally gratifying.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
Although you have established a valuable contact, thus far you haven’t
handled a relationship to
the best of your advantage, or even to the other
party’s. Try to make up
for lost time.

WANTED
Urgently needed land in Parfaite
Harmonie to buy, good deal offer from $600,000 to $1M. Phone:
675-7292
Vacancy exists for a pit man, maroc man, serviceman, saw man, operator, jet man and cook to work in
the interior. Applications for cook
and operator can be sent to 46F
Brickdam and Boyle Place. Please
call: 640-4489 or 604-0783

ome 31 schools in
Region Four are slated
to undergo repairs to
the tune of $61.5 million under the current expenditure
programme of the region.
Region Four Chairman
Clement Corlette said the
contracts for repairs on the
schools were awarded earlier than usual and works
have already started.
But Corlette noted that
the contractors are engaged
in multiple works, which
could hinder them from
completing the work on the
schools they are allotted.
He noted that the
Regional
Democratic
Council is monitoring the
contractors to ensure they
finish their work on time.
Among the schools to be
repaired are the Kuru Kuru,
Soesdyke and Dora primaries and the Friendship,
Soesdyke, Covent Garden
and Grove secondaries and
the Diamond Special Needs,
among others on the East
Bank Demerara.
The
Beterverwagting,
Golden Grove, Ogle, Buxton
and Melanie primary schools
on the East Coast Demerara
and others in the region are
also listed to go under repairs.
The repairs and construction works vary from
school to school, according to
Corlette.
The works include repairs to bridges and fences,
roofs, gutters, painting, electrical works and corrective
maintenance.
Meanwhile, under the
education sector’s capital
allocation in the 2013 budget, the sum of $62.9 million
was allocated to fund several projects, of which $40.766
million will be spent on construction and rehabilitation
of buildings.
Some $7 million will also
go towards the purchasing
of land and water transport
and $15.2 million for the
purchase of furniture and
educational equipment for
schools.
The repair works to the
various schools, form part of
the annual current expenditure programme of the administrative regions.
Schools are catered for
under their respective regional democratic councils.

20

August 4, 2013

guyanatimesGY.com

Barbados Tridents beat Trinidad and Tobago Red
Steel by four wickets in low-scoring encounter
T
he Barbados Tridents
defeated the Trinidad
and Tobago Red Steel
by four wickets in their

uyana
Amazon
Warriors
captain
Ramnaresh Sarwan
credited the fine show by his
bowlers and superb fielding as the reason for his
side’s eight-wicket victory
over Jamaica Tallawahs in
game four of the Limacol
Caribbean Premier League
tournament played at the
Guyana National Stadium
on Friday evening.
Sarwan said that a calm
approach helped his side
to win the much-anticipated match, adding that he
is satisfied with the team’s
impressive showing in the
tournament thus far.
“Full credit to the bowlers and I hope we continue doing well in their department in the remaining
matches. Our fielding was
also superb. In the first
match, fielding let us down.
But the fielding was spot-on
in this game,” Sarwan said.

Guyana Amazon Warriors captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lendl Simmons

“The team responded
well and the bowlers contributed really well to restrict Jamaica to a small total,” Sarwan said.
He said taking wickets
in the first 10 overs had also
helped his side in winning
the match.

Tallawahs
openers
Ahmed Shehzad and Chris
Gayle
were
dismissed
cheaply in the Powerplay
overs, and then three wickets in three overs saw the
Tallawahs slipping from
39-2 to 45-5 at the end of the
10th over.

“We had five wickets
in the first 10 overs. That
has helped us in winning
the match,” Sarwan said.
“I thought it was important
to be aggressive on the field
and keep up the energy level. Hope we continue this,”
he added.

Meanwhile, the 33-yearold Sarwan also praised
the batting department, especially Man-of-the-Match
Lendl Simmons.
The
local
franchise
reached the victory target of 118, with 33 balls to
spare with the right-hander
Simmons smashing a forceful 67 not out from 44 balls.
“It’s good that Simmons
is taking the responsibility.
He has been someone who
has been consistent of recent. It is good that a batsman has been in consistent
form so others can revolve
around him,” said the skipper.
Simmons, on the other
hand, expressed his satisfaction after playing the winning knock.
“It’s always good to contribute, I decided to just
play positive and I came
out on my side. I played in
Guyana before so I know
how the pitches played
here,” Simmons said.
Jamaica Tallawahs’ head

coach Paul Nixon admitted
that his side was totally outplayed in all departments.
“From the start we made
too many mistakes. We lost
too many early wickets and
we were left to play catch up
game. Honestly the Warriors
played their A game,” Nixon
said.
Meantime, Sarwan said
his team will be taking the
momentum to avoid any sort
of complacency in Sunday’s
game against St Lucia
Zouks.
“We must continue hard
as a team, every game we
play we must try to improve
and at the same time look at
executing our plans so we
will be in a better position to
win the game”
“We can’t afford any complacency,” Sarwan opined.
The Warriors will face
Darren Sammy’s St Lucia
Zouks this evening at 20:00h
at the stadium. Prior to that,
the Jamaica Tallawahs will
face the Antigua Hawksbills
from 15:00h.

Eastman wins Seven Seas feature cycling race
By Avenash Ramzan

G

eddes
Grant
(Guyana) Limited,
through its Seven
Seas range of products, concluded its 10th annual 11race cycling programme on
Saturday, with Lindener
Hamzah Eastman winning
the feature 35-lap School
Boys and Invitational race
at the inner circuit of the
National Park.
In a sprint finish,
Eastman, riding out of
United Cycle Club, pipped
club mate Mario King to
win the main race in one
hour, 18 minutes, 56 seconds (01h: 18m: 56s).
Wazim Gafoor, Chris
Persaud, Orville Hinds and
Marlon Williams rounded out the top six finishers in that order. Eastman
and Persaud collected two
prime prizes each, while
there was one each for
Godfrey Pollydore, Gafoor,
Akeem Arthur and King.
The BMX riders started the day’s proceedings
with Sherwin Sampson,
Jeremiah Harrison and
Alex Leung finishing 1-23 in the 6-9 years, with
Rashidi Ceres beating off
the challenge of Ammo
Gones and Sampson to win
the 9-12 category.
The BMX 12-14 was
won by Raphael Leung
with Deeraj Garbarran and
Rawle Small coming in second and third respectively. Jamal John got the better of Cleveland King and
Christopher Griffith in the
BMX Open.
John returned to cop
the 12-14 Boys and Girls
race ahead of R. Leung and
Alfie Soonaram, with Jason
Jordan taking the prime
prize.
Junior Niles, Kennard
Lovell and Shameer shared

The outstanding riders pose with their winnings at the conclusion of the day’s activities

the three top positions in
that order in the Veterans
Under-50 race; Preston
Stanley
prevailed
over
Virgil Jones in the Veterans
Over-50. Maurice Fagundes
was the lone entrant for the
Veterans Over-60 event.
Michael
Anthony
of
Team Coco (Guyana) won
the Juveniles race, with
Eastman and Arthur ending in second and third positions respectively, with
Shaquille Agard pocketing
the prime prize.

Stephano
Husbands
carted of the Mountain
Bike race, finishing ahead
of Keon Thomas and Julio
Melville in that order.
Karen Cornell, Product
Specialist of Geddes Grant
(Guyana) Limited, was on
hand to assist in the presentation of prizes to the
outstanding riders, also
committing her company’s
support for cycling in the
future.
Cyclists, officials and
spectators were also afford-

ed the opportunity to sample Seven Seas’ wide range
of products, while staff
members of the company
were on hand to explain the
benefits of their products
for a healthy lifestyle.
The riders were also presented with hampers, compliments of Seven Seas.
Meanwhile, riders will
be in action again this
morning for the annual
Regan Rodrigues Memorial
50-mile road race on the
West Demerara roadways

from 08:00h.
The race will commence
from Wales Police Station,
proceed to Bushy Park on
the East Bank of Essequibo
before returning to the
Demerara Harbour Bridge
for the finish.
The first six finishers
will receive prizes, while
the top three in the juniors,
veteran, mountain bike and
female categories will also
be rewarded. There will
also be a prize for the top
rider over 60 years.

Eight prime prizes will
also be up for grabs during
the course of the race.
The experienced Robin
Persaud is the defending champion of the Open
race, having won last year’s
event in a time of one hour,
52 minutes, 41.21 seconds
(01h: 52m: 41.21s).
A new champion will
emerge in the junior division since last year’s winner Raynauth Jeffrey has
moved to the senior ranks.
Talim Shaw, Naomi
Singh and Walter Isaacs
are the defending champions of the veteran, female
and veteran over-60 categories respectively.
The day’s activities are
being sponsored by Ricks
and Sari Agro Industries
Limited, whose staff and
family members of the late
Rodrigues will assist in the
distribution of prizes at the
conclusion.
At the time of his
death on August 4, 2004,
Rodrigues was president
of the Carlton Wheelers
Cycle Club. He was also
the former president of the
Guyana Cycle Federation
and motor racing champion.

iding high on confidence after two consecutive
victories
and sitting pretty in pole
position, Guyana Amazon
Warriors will collide with
the St Lucia Zouks in the
feature match of a doubleheader when action in the inaugural Limacol Caribbean
Premier League (CPL) continues tonight at the Guyana
National Stadium.
While Amazon Warriors
will be hunting a third successive win to solidify their
position as one of the tournament favourites, the Zouks
will look to get their campaign back on track after losing their opening game to
the Barbados Tridents by 17
runs.
Coach of the Amazon
Warriors, Roger Harper,
speaking to local media on
the eve of the match, refrained from making any
bold predictions, noting that
his team’s approach will be
no different from the previous two games.
“Our game plan remains
the same. We’ve won all our
games by playing good basic
cricket and that is what we
plan to do tomorrow [today],”
Harper commented.
Following a 19-run win
over the Trinidad and Tobago
Red Steel last Wednesday to
get their campaign underway, the Amazon Warriors
completely outplayed the
Jamaica Tallawahs, crushing them by eight wickets on
Friday.
The flawless start injected a tremendous amount of
confidence in the camp, and
that is something Harper is
hoping to use to his advantage going forward in the
tournament.
“We played well in all departments on Friday night
and we would like to continue in that vein and even
take it up a notch,” the former West Indies vice-captain
pointed out.
He added, “We’re delighted to be in the position we’re
in, but we know our next
game is always our most important so we’re doing our

Amazon Warriors Coach
Roger Harper

St Lucia Zouks Coach
Andy Roberts

Jamaica Tallawahs Coach
Paul Nixon

Antigua Hawksbills Coach
Sir Vivian Richards

best to focus on that.”
Harper’s counterpart in
the St Lucia Zouks camp,
Andy Roberts, is optimistic
the Darren Sammy led franchise can rebound from their
opening loss.
According to the former

good game against Barbados,
but we let it slip in about five
minutes on either side, bowling and batting, and that’s
when the game got away
from us,” Roberts recalled.
With a few days to rectify
their mistakes from the first

same as the first 10 overs.
Also batting; our first 10
overs were in comparison to
any team. I think we had a
good start, but once again
we let it slip. I think it’s lack
of confidence in some of the
batsmen,” Roberts acknowl-

seemingly crusing to victory
at 90-2 in 10 overs before a
massive collapse saw them
being dismissed for 152.
The Zouks would no
doubt want to remedy that
situation tonight, but in

edged.
In that game, the
St Lucia Zouks had the
Barbados Tridents at 48-4
in the eighth over before a
Kieron Pollard blitz and a
solid 78 from Shoaib Malik
took them to 169-5.
The Zouks were then

their path is a rampant
Amazon Warriors looking
to end their home games
with an unblemished record
in front of another sold out
crowd.
The action will bowl off at
20:00 hours.
Meanwhile, the Jamaica

The St Lucia Zouks planning their strategy ahead of today’s game

West Indies fast bowling
great, it was a just a few moments of lapses that caused
their demise in the opening
match of the tournament on
Tuesday.
“Well, we’re confident you
know. We’re fairly confident
because we played a fairly

game, Roberts pointed out
some of the areas that were
given added attention in the
lead-up to today’s crucial encounter.
“We had lacked intensity while we were out in the
field between overs number 10 and 20. It wasn’t the